Some individuals experience bedwetting during their sleep. This condition, which is known as nocturnal enuresis, can cause the affected individual emotional distress and adversely impact their self-esteem. One group of individuals with a higher potential for nocturnal enuresis is children approximately between the ages of four and twelve years old. Some of these children may no longer wear diapers or other types of absorbent garments but continue to experience bedwetting during their sleep. Such a condition results in the caregivers having to frequently change and wash the affected bed sheets. Having to wash the bed sheets numerous times may damage the sheets and also requires the caregivers to cope with additional work load at home.
Some known products are directed to children that suffer from bedwetting. For example, disposable absorbent garments that target nocturnal enuresis sufferers may be used by children. Such known disposable absorbent garments are designed for children and may include pull on like features so that the child wearing them does not feel like he or she is wearing diapers. However, a significant percentage of the children who experience nocturnal enuresis (or their caregiver) reject using such disposable absorbent garments. For example, the child may feel embarrassed or are emotionally distressed by wearing a product that is similar to a diaper. Moreover, the garments may not adequately fit some of the older children.
Instead of wearing absorbent garments, many children or their caregivers may prefer to use, for example, disposable bed mats or pads. At least some known disposable bed mats or pads are designed to be placed under the bottom (or fitted) sheet of a bed. That is, some disposable bed mats or pads are designed to be placed between the bottom sheet and a mattress of the bed. While these bed mats or pads may prevent the mattress from being wetted, they do not provide any protection against the sheet becoming wet.
Other known disposable bed mats or pads are designed to be placed directly over the bottom sheets of a bed. When the child is positioned on the pad, insults by the child may be absorbed by the pad. However, such known bed pads may not be appropriately sized for the child's bed resulting in portions of the sheets still being affected by the insult. Further, some known pads do not have any adhesives and, therefore, may move on the bed. While some known bed pads include adhesive or means to increase the coefficient of friction between the pad and the bed, the adhesive may not attach to the sheets appropriately or the strength of the adhesive or the coefficient of friction may be insufficient and the pads may still continue to move on the bed. Moreover, at least some known pads are not sufficiently durable and the absorbent structure therein may readily tear during use, especially when used with an adhesive.
Other known products for protecting a bed include washable mattress pads, vinyl or plastic mattress covers, and absorbent towels or cloths. However, these products are typically placed between the fitted sheet and the mattress of the bed. As a result, if the child wets the bed the bottom sheet will not be protected. In addition, these products are more difficult to place and remove from the bed thereby limiting the child's independence in changing the pad. Instead, the child often has to rely on an older caregiver for help. Moreover, the known products are often not disposable thereby adding to the amount of laundry that needs to be done should the child wet the bed.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide children who experience bedwetting a disposable bed pad that is designed to fit various bed sizes, that uses sufficient adhesive to adhere the pad to a bed sheet such that the pad does not move during use and at the same time does not tear and/or cause other damage to the bed sheet, and that is sufficiently durable such that the pad does not tear readily.